Wichita eagle., 1887-02-05
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CUBAN ETIQUETTE.
EffUSlVE POLiTENESS FOUND IN
HlGH-TCNED SPANISH GCC!ETY

Use of Certain Initials Latter
Envelope - An Elusive Form of
Corrcspas. -.tr..vagantly P.iits
SUPPLEMENTARY on the street.
received "a letter a few days aSo from
q Cuban. On the upper left hand corner
of the outside OF The envelope were the
initials l.. l.. p. Now, any one who has
studied Spanish knows that u. J.. p. Or
Il. l.. NJ, in Z letter Of extreme polite
ness and etiquette, are used ct the close
of letter: but the use Of these initials
Oh tho envelope / hardly think is as
familiar 10 the general student Of Span
ISL. This is very usual, both here and III
Spain on letters Of some ceremony, and it
is de r.gucur On the envelopes or cere-
monious notes, invitations, etc.
Ladies writing 20 gentlemen, or to each
ether, Or gentlemen writing TO each other,
use g. l.. lG-"Beso las marOs'' Il kiss
the hands,. Gentlemen writing 10 Ia
dies use u. /. P.-"Beso las pies q kiss
the fcet) the compliment, OF course,
for tic hands and feet Of the party writ
ten to. The many expressions Of friend
ship, respect, etc, used at the close Of The
Spanish letter are not sufficient without
the usual y. J.. NJ. Or 3. i. p The fol
lowing elusive form is much used in writ
ing To u person even Of very slight &C
qUaintance: with the giDcere:t profcs-
sions of sympathy and friendship from
her aiiectiOnate servant, who 3. L. i.
Kisses her fcct), etc. To use one set OF
initials for the other Shows great ignCr-
ancc Of the etiQuettes and c0nveniences
of society. A Cuban lady Of my &C
quairtaucc received on her fetc day tie
usual compliment OF visiting card
under c0Tcr from q gentleman. On
looking 81 the envelope she threw up he-'
head with jerk and remarked that
''one could easily see that that man did
not know anything, or he never would
have pat 3. l.. NJ, instead Of j. l.. F.,
on an envelope sent to lady."
4 MATTER OF SPANISH TAS1E.
| must acknowledge that / could not
appreciate the nice difference. But after
oil on reflection, there certainly is some
difference between d. l. II. and j. J..
p, ard it is only q matter Of Spanish
taste which Is the most agreeable pro
eeeding.
This is only one OF the very little polite
nothings OF this very polite people.
On being presented to a Stranger-if
lady-inStead OF the usual bow, more or
less gracious, Of our country, there is q
cordial shake Of tie hand, accompanied
by an eXtr2vagantly polite speech OK
pressing The very great happiness this
meeting has caused, ending with an
offer to you from tho lady Of her house,
which is, in other words On invitation
for you to visit her. A single man GOES
through the same style Of conplimental
speech and concludes by telling you that
he lives at such q number in such a
street, and bcgs that if you need his ser
vices you viii call on him.
Whether sincere or not, these little po-
Tito forms arc the flowery adoTnmcnts of
speech, ard help to make up the refine
mcnts and Illusions of life, more or less
agreeable, according TO the view one
takes OF them. What would be received
by IN American woman as an imperiin-
ence is received by Cuban with q gra-
ciOus smile and q 'Gracias, said in
most pleasant tone of voice, as, for in
stance, on being helped into her carriage
by "a man who is a complete stranger 10
her IL q gentleman is passing on the
street when a lady is about TO enter her
carriage-if 10 gentleman is with her
he hands her into her carriage This is
considered here only what a man who is
n gentleman would do under such cir
cumstances. Compliments nro sometimes
paid by gentlemen TO ladies on the street,
but are considered bad style Cuba
Cor. New Orleans Times. Democrat